


Part of Your World

by minazukihatta



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood, F/M, Gen, I just wanted to write a fic where Oscar was a grimm werwolf and this happened, Violence, non-graphic nudity, tags will be added as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-07-06 08:22:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15882243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minazukihatta/pseuds/minazukihatta
Summary: Grimms are meant to kill humans and humans are meant to hunt grimms. That is until Oscar decides he wants more than that.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write grimm werewolf Oscar that attended Beacon with Ruby and this happened. Tags, including ships, will be added as the story progresses. I can't believe I took the title from a Little Mermaid but, hey, it fit.

He watches from the shadows of the wood as the children walk towards the soldiers. The children, a solemn boy in the colours of the forest and the other a girl with rosy cheeks and hair like fire, send a wary look towards him. They are uncertain. They’ve traveled with him for so long, been protected by him for so long, that they don’t know what will happen to them if they leave. He motions for them to keep moving, head nudging in the direction of the soldiers who wisely keep their weapons aimed at him. 

 

It is only the woman in white that keeps their bullets at bay. She lingers between the precipice of the base and the forest, keeping one hand on his side. 

 

“Th--THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!” the girl shouts, the sheer volume causing the boy beside her to jump. The boy sends his own gratitude, nodding his head profusely. “WE WON’T FORGET YOU! EVER!”

 

A part of him pulls painfully as the children link hands and walk away from him, small figures growing even smaller. 

 

“I hadn’t expected for it to be difficult as it was getting Nora and Ren to leave you,” the woman in white says. “They truly did love you, despite what you are.”

 

Love? A thrum resounded through him, like the thrill of the chase yet calmer. Ah, it would seem he loved the children back. He didn’t look like them. Four legs instead of two. Fur instead of skin. They had been able to look past that and muster up the will to love such a monster like him. 

 

He focuses back on the children, now being escorted by some soldiers. One of them even takes off their coat to drape around the children’s shoulders. He had been lonely for a very long time. He would miss the ring of the girl’s laughter as she swung across tree like a Hell Monkey and the boy’s cool temperament as they traveled through the forests

 

“But it would seem you would miss them too,” the woman in white goes on. “This must be the hardest on you because you know there’s no place in their world for something like you.”

 

Her words cut deeper than any weapon. He stoically gazes out towards the camp. The children are gone now, hidden behind walls meant to keep  _ him _ out. 

 

“Because grimms are meant to kill humans and humans are meant to hunt grimms.”

 

Is she done? He throws a irritated look towards, growling lowly. She is unfazed by this, face blank and cold as ice. Her glacial eyes have something in them that’s softer that he has rarely seen. Is it sympathy? 

 

He’s never meet a beautiful human until he saw her. Hair as white as snow, lips as pearly as dew hanging off a leaf and skin as smooth as flower petals. However, he knew from experience that the most beautiful things were the deadliest and this woman in white was no exception. After all, had it not been for the children, she nearly would have killed him. He had a scar above his nose to attest to that. 

 

“When I was younger, there was a book I quite loved. It was the tale of two girls who moved into a castle with a father who hated them. They only had each other until they managed to attract the attention of the lord of the mountain on which their castle was built on. Together, they had adventures and days full of joy. However, they had to grow up and leave the lord of the mountain behind so they could have their own adventures. I had always wanted a friend like that.”

 

The woman in white rests her head on his fur. He can’t see her head. He can tell that there’s more to the story than what she is telling him. 

 

“I had to grow up eventually. I was never going to get a friend like the lord of the mountain.” There’s a sad edge to her voice. What kind of life did the woman in white have? He wanted to ask. The words were not able to form in his throat. All that came out was a whine. 

 

The woman in white moves, boots making prints in the snow as she leaves, just like the children. “You know the lord of the mountain had a name. Oscar. It suits you.”

 

Oscar thinks so too. 


	2. Red Like Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grimms are meant to kill humans and humans are meant to hunt grimms. That is the way things are.

Grimms are meant to kill humans and humans are meant to hunt grimms. That is the way things are.

If Oscar were to walk into a human territory, he would no doubt be attacked and most likely killed. The only time he could ever coexist with humans was when he was battling their hunters.

With the humans gone now, there was now a silence hanging over Oscar that he hated. He didn't have to keep the sunny human girl in his peripheral view, didn't have to stand a wary distance from the boy who had his own wounds made by others of his kind to nurse, didn't have to send silent signals with the woman in white about who would take first watch or which way they would go.

All that there was left for Oscar to do was walk.

He walks through glens of spring, valleys sheeted in snow, forests where leaves were brown and falling and beaches almost blinding with sun. The only time Oscar ever interacted with anybody was when lesser rank grimm that were dumber than he was had the audacity to fight him if he was trespassing upon their territory and the odd human that crossed his path. The former ended in more blood than the latter.

Just as Oscar was not welcome in the world of grimm, he had lost his right to be among his own kind when the scent of humans caught to his fur. He once had a pack consisting of his parents, a beta and an alpha, but he had lost them in a raid where hunters rested among sleeping villagers many seasons ago. It had been him and only him since then.

Oscar comes to rest on a frosted cliff. He plops down into the snow and looks beyond the grave to the valley, trees were scattered, their tips reaching towards the sky, mountains stood sentinel and the moon hung above them. Oscar lets out a respectful howl to the bright orb standing solitary. A custom in his pack that would have died had it not been for Oscar's existence. Every time the moon came in full view, they would howl, the sound carrying through the air. He wasn't sure why they did it. They just did.

A curved stone was settled into the ground. The familiar scroll of human markings upon the stone tells Oscar that it is a marker that humans used to honor their dead. Some grimm had a way of honoring their dead, notably the goliaths that would scatter the bones of their deceased and hold vigil, others would just leave their carcasses to rot in the wild.

The scent of roses bloom in his nostrils. Wild roses grew in these woods but in the season of winter they all should be dead and wilted. Metals clangs and slides-a hunter-and Oscar stands, standing defensively towards the source.

His sight settles upon red. A red cloak, wrapped around a small girl. A red scythe, its blade gleaming dangerously. Red tips kissing the ends of the girl's short hair. And then silver. The girl has moonlight in her eyes.

Beautiful, Oscar thinks. Just like the woman in white. And just like the woman in white, deadly. Oscar spots a basket at her feet, roses peeking out under a cloth. That explained the smell.

The Little Red Hood doesn't say anything, merely regarding with open curiosity. It's a welcome change from fear and distrust. Maybe this one is different from the other humans. Then again, the scythe gives Oscar pause to reconsider that point.

"Are you going to attack me or what?"

Ah, so the Little Red Cap wants a fight. Oscar feels inclined to indulge her. It's been so long since he enjoyed the sweet adrenaline of a battle. However, he thinks he won't like the results of their fight. Oscar doesn't want to die and the thought of having Little Red Hood's blood staining the snow doesn't sit well with him.

So he bows his head towards her, a gesture of surrender, and pads away.

"Wait, what?" Little Red Hood yelps in confusion. "Hey!" Metal retracts and the scythe is now squirrelled away somewhere on her body. "Hi, mom, long time no see. Can't stay long but I got you some roses. Bye! Hey, you!"

Wind rushes and rose petals dance in the air as the girl appears in front him. Oscar halts, stumbling back. How did she-

"Hey! Fight me!"

No.

Oscar makes a move to get away but the girl once again blocks his path. She pouts at him, fists clenching at her sides. She reminds him of Nora when she was being stubborn.

"Aw, come on!"

Oscar rolls his eyes and bears his gaze down on her. It's a battle of dominance as the girl stares back unblinkingly until her eyes are burning with tears. She rubs at her eyes furiously with her frilly sleeve. Oscar takes advantage of this to get away but the girl latches onto his fur. She's close enough that Oscar can smell another dog on her, domesticated and weaker.

Okay, fine, if she wanted it that way. Oscar shifts, forcing the girl on him, who squawks in surprise, until she's on his back and clutching at the fur of his neck.

"Uh, what?" Oscar can practically feel the Little Red Hood's growing confusion. "So, we're not fighting?"

They walk through the trees, nearly identical to one another. They would be lost if not for Oscar's natural sense of direction, making sense of the woods around them to find their way to shelter out of this snow. The girl huffs and splays out on his back.

"Fine," Little Red Cap groans out. She bursts with sudden energy and shuffles up to dip into Oscar's vision, her head poking down from her place on his back. "You're not like other grimm. Why not?"

Oscar doesn't know. He knows that the older the grimm are, the smarter they are. But Oscar isn't that old. Maybe it was a peculiarity unique only to him. He had never met another grimm like himself. Oscar makes a confused whine in response.

"You dunno either, huh?"

They come to a clearing, blanketed in white and the moon looking down on them. Little Red Hood is settled comfortably, chattering. Just as she says Oscar is not like other grimm, he could say the same for her. No human warms this quickly to the presence of a grimm. It had taken him a while for Nora and Ren to travel comfortably in his presence. The woman in white never really did trust him.

"Wish I could take you home," Little Red Hood says wistfully, "buuuuut I think Dad and Yang would throw a fit. And Uncle Qrow. Particularly Uncle Qrow. You'd probably be dead in minutes."

Oscar tips his head back to gaze challengingly at Little Red Hood. Want to bet?

"You'd so be dead!" Little Red Cap retorts hotly. "Uncle Qrow's the greatest huntsman I know!"

Sure … Although Oscar shuddered to think if the girl was right. Grimm usually fell to the blades and bullets of hunters. Considering how many grimm died, Oscar was sure to be one of them one day.

Oscar stops. There's the soft, nearly inaudible crunch of paws along the snow and low growls reverberating in the chilly air. He smells them before he sees them. Blood, sulphur and a wild scent unique only to his distant cousins that slip out from the forests like shadows and surrounding them.

This wasn't looking good. Oscar was considerably bigger and a more deadlier predator however the beowolves had strength in numbers, possibly enough to overwhelm him. The winter must have drove them wild, animals hibernating and humans staying in their homes, the lack of prey causing them to growl hungrily and salivate.

The girl slips off him, stepping onto the snow. Oscar had half a mind to step in her until he saw the intensity in her eyes, a predatory gleam that he understood. This girl was like him, a being of battle that enjoyed the crunch of bones and blood thrumming through their body.

The wind howls. Oscar makes a warning growl and haunches, ready to attack. A beat. One, two, three.

The girl is the first to move, jumping into the air with surprising speed and height, catching the beowolves by surprise. Oscar glimpses a smirk gracing the girl's rosy lips before she pulls out her scythe.

Blood is spilled. Madness descends.

Oscar bites and pulls, warm, red liquid dripping from his fangs and catching on his fur. Claws dig into him and beowolves attack in succession. Oscar rips apart whoever has the misfortune to cross his path. Through it all, Oscar can only think about how this is the most alive he has felt since the humans had left him. For too long, it's been too still and too quiet, and now gunshots and growls work in unison, shattering the picturesque peace of the valley.

Out of the corner of his vision, Oscar sees the Little Red Hood swinging her scythe and firing shots, rose petals dancing around her. There's a practiced edge to the way she fights like the woman in white, though a bit more wild and inexperienced due to her age.

Beowolves slam into Oscar and Oscar pushes back. He catches one between his teeth and throws it towards Little Red Hood to slice into two. She gives him an appreciative nod before swinging her scythe once more.

Eventually, Oscar and the Little Red Hood find each other in the battlefield, backs to one another. Beowolves swarm around them like maggots and more only come of the woods. He looks for an alpha to kill and make a show of strength but with Beowolves, they're rarely ever an alpha since they're so stupid.

"You getting tired on me, Mr Wolf?" Little Red Hood asks through pants, amusement tinting her voice.

You wish. Oscar growls back.

"That's what I thought." She unclips something looking like a book from her belt and loads it into her scythe. The girl is awash in red light then like the furious blaze of fire.

"Alley-oop!" she says before zipping away. Wherever her scythe falls, beowolves drop and petals scatter to the will of the winds.

Beautiful.

Oscar jumps back in the fray, ripping off heads with his teeth, claws hacking into bodies and tail slamming wildly. Oscar would laugh from the irony if not for the battle and the fact he wasn't human. The only time he could ever coexist with humans when he was fighting with hunters. And here he was, fighting with a hunter.

Bodies drop to the ground. Only two stands in a clearing stained as black ash rises to the sky. Little Red Hood lifts her scythe from the beowolf its lodged in and throws Oscar a smirk across the field.

"Well, that was fun …" Little Red Hood sways slightly, knees wobbling, from the exertion.

Yeah, it was. Oscar makes his way towards her, stepping over carcasses without care. The girl retracts her scythe and welcomes him in her arms. Her arms cradles his head, holding him close.

"Thank you for helping."

Oscar wants to say that she's welcome but he can't. He can't say words. Only growl and bark and howl. He isn't human.

"Huh?"

Oscar thinks that he was born wrong. Perhaps he would have been better off being a human. Then he wouldn't have to be so alone all the time. He could find others like him. He could read books. Talk. Walk amongst them.

"Um, Mister Wolf?"

But the only time humans and grimms can ever coexist is on a battlefield.

"Mister Wolf! The girl yells, shocking Oscar out of his thoughts. He looks up (wait, up?) to the Little Red Hood. He feels heavy all of a sudden. He drops to the ground, ice frosting his knees, and his vision goes blurry around the edges. He's tired … Oh, so tired …

The snow comes up to meet his face, the ice colder than ever against his cheek. He drags his eyes to Little Red Hood who looks down on him in fear and distress, lines etching into her face. Her arms are somehow able to hold him. She's warm, Oscar thinks. Good. This girl shouldn't be cold.

In the reflection of her eyes, he sees somebody else, another child, with a mop of dark hair and eyes like jewels. Oscar wonders who that child is before he finally passes out.


	3. Left in the Dust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, thank you for the response you’ve given me. I appreciate every kudo/bookmark/favourite and review I’ve gotten. About updates, I plan to update once a week to give me time to write more chapters and pace myself. I just want to make a note that I have no beta. Remember to keep your responses classy and have a good one!
> 
> Also you can check out the book cover i made [here](http://timandstepharebamfs.tumblr.com/post/177970710144/heyyyyyyyyy-heres-the-cover-i-made-for-my-cringe)
> 
> Trigger warning: Non-graphic nudity and blood

"Ruby, what happened?"

Ruby knows it doesn't look good. To be honest, she isn't sure herself. One moment she was holding the grimm in her arms and the next the grimm turned into a boy with fuzzy dog ears poking out of his head and a tail from behind. Shame and embarrassment rushed through her when she realised the grimm-err, faunus now (?) was naked, harshly dropping him to the snow. When she managed to calm her furious flush, she had unhooked her cloak and draped it on the boy to cover his modesty and called her father.

Taiyang darts his eyes from Ruby, to the boy and then to the empty field and back to Ruby.

"I-errr-" Ruby scrambles to find a coherent explanation that made sense. "There was this boy and then there were the beowolves and then we were fighting and he-" Ruby gestures wildly to the boy and melts into gibberish.

Taiyang sighs, sliding his hands over his face and gazing heavenwards as if it could provide an answer. It didn't. He crouches down to the boy, lifting the cloak.

"He's naked," Taiyang says.

"Yup."

"Why is he naked?"

Ruby hesitates. She could say that the boy just transformed from being a grimm. But her dad was a huntsman. Huntsman killed grimms. And Ruby really came to like Mister Wolf, even if they knew each other for, like, thirty minutes. And Ruby really didn't want Mister Wolf to die.

So she lies.

"N-No idea," Ruby stutters out.

Her father sends her a sharp look that Ruby avoids, shifting her to her father's truck parked not too far away. "He's covered in blood."

Ruby noticed that before her dad got here. Blood had matted his hair, splayed on his cheek, crusted beneath his triangular fingernails and some of it leaked out from his mouth. Cuts, some of them looking deep, were sliced through skin. But as Ruby glimpses at the body now, taking care to keep her eyes above his waist, they healed, clear unmarked skin visible.

"The beowolves," Ruby supplies. "There was a lot of them."

"Right. Okay." Taiyang grunts as he picks up Mister Wolf, lugging him over his shoulder. "Let's get outta here."

"Sure!" Ruby picks herself, wobbling a bit as she comes to her feet and follows after her father.

Ruby's dad drops the boy on the couch and heads to the kitchen to grab some supplies. Blood, from the boy and on her cloak, seeps onto the couch. Well, it wasn't as if the couch was a stranger to bloodstains from the other faded dark stains on the fabric. This was why they had plastic covers underneath.

Mister Wolf really appeared to be human, save for the ears and the red lines sweeping underneath his eyes like paint strokes. Freckles dusted his cheeks and the rest of his sun-tanned body. A thin, precise scar was etched above his nose. His hair, a dark chestnut colour, was all messy and sticking up at angles. Mister Wolf seemed her age, with baby fat still clinging to his cheeks.

The early morning filtered in through the blinds, casting everything, including the boy, in a golden light. He somehow seemed … cute through all the blood on him. Ruby blushes again and distracts herself with the thought that they really should get the blood off him.

Zwei wakes up from his bed in the longue and pads curiously towards Ruby and the boy. The dog's gaze settles on Mister Wolf, tilting his head before crouching on. The dog growls, spooking Ruby. Zwei was usually very friendly. If Zwei was ever hostile, it was because he had good reason to be. Could he tell that Mister Wolf was a grimm?

Ruby holds her arms up, trying to calm him. "Easy, boy. This one's a friend. I think."

"You know anybody that would come to pick him up?" Taiyang calls from the kitchen, grabbing a rag and throwing it at Ruby who catches it deftly.

Did Mister Wolf have anybody? He was all by himself when Ruby found him. Maybe he had a pack. Grimms sometimes tended to act like the animal counterpartes. "I don't know. There wasn't anybody else there and he didn't say about friends or family."

That wasn't exactly a lie.

Ruby dabs at the boy's cheek gently. Only the blood that's still damp is cleared away. The rest seems to have crusted. Mister Wolf will need a shower. Can he use a shower?

Eyes snap open. The eerily human eyes were the first thing that Ruby noticed after the grimm's large size and tell-tale bone mask. All grimms were supposed to have glowing red eyes. But this one had eyes bursting with brown, yellow and green.

Mister Wolf sits up like a gunshot, head swinging from side side fast enough to give anybody whiplash. A series of noises escape his throat, sounding like Zwei whenever he was confused. Speaking of Zwei, the growls had erupted into barking, the dog primed for an attack. Mister Wolf stands, shaking unsteadily at his knees. His mouth twists in a snarl, revealing a row of very sharp canine teeth before barking with a furious volume that has Ruby flinching.

"Hey! That's enough!" Taiyang yells, storming in from the kitchen. He holds the first aid kit in a grip that turns his knuckles white.

Zwei backs away behind Ruby, whining in contempt. Mister Wolf squints his eyes at Taiyang distrustfully, his body still ready for an attack. Taiyang holds his hands up, the gesture mirroring what Ruby did only minutes ago, trying to calm Mister Wolf's feral mood.

"We're not going to hurt you," Taiyang says. "We just wanna help you, that's all."

"Yeah!" Ruby pipes up, drawing Mister Wolf's attention as he snaps his eyes to her with razor sharp focus. It's enough to unnerve her and take a careful step back. "Trust us."

Mister Wolf seems to recognise her as his face flickers with understanding. He relaxes slightly, shoulders slumping. His calm only lasts for a few seconds until he begins to blink rapidly, incoherent sounds slip out of throat. Mister Wolf loses balance, knees giving out to slam back into the couch.

"Whoa, there!" Taiyang urges.

"Easy!" Ruby squeaks.

Mister Wolf props himself up unsteadily with one arm. He holds one hand, turning it over slowly. He marvels at the limb with wonder and confusion and up to Ruby. 'What is going on?' His face seems to say.

Ruby shakes her head in the same uncertainty Mister Wolf is drowning in.

A yawn breaks through the tension building up in the air. Yang steps down from the stairs, hair a mess and in her pajamas. She blearily takes in the situation and rubs at her eyes, scraping off the crust there.

"Wazz 'appenin'?" Yang asks.

Ruby can only shrug at her. "I have no idea."


	4. Bringing a Boy Home

Oscar had never thought he'd find himself in a situation. Sitting down. In a chair. With other humans. As a human. Almost human, as he found out after a frightening 'shower' in the 'bathroom' by looking at his reflection in the mirror.

Using the shower had been more difficult than learning how to walk on two legs and getting his arms to move the way he wanted them to to the point where the older human male of the household, Taiyang as he introduced himself, had to help him. Taiyang had gone as far as to give Oscar some spare clothing since the grimm had nothing to cover him other than his short hair and skin.

Taiyang was seated across Oscar, regarding Oscar wearily. Another human, a young human girl with wild blond hair like Taiyang's and clearly defined muscles, was resting her head on her hands, scrutinising Oscar with her lips pursed. The Little Red Hood from before took the chair by Oscar's side, fidgeting with her fingers to endure the awkward silence. The dog, Zwei the Little Red Hood called him, glares at Oscar with unveiled suspicion from the floor. Oscar figures the dog has reasons for that, seeing as how the domesticated animal could tell Oscar's other nature and was intruding upon his territory.

A small trill of joy runs through Oscar as the realisation dawns on him that he is actually sitting in a house  _with humans_ , curling his new lips upwards. He's wanted this for so long and it's finally happening. He only wishes he was more …  _graceful_  in his new form.

"So you gotta name?" Taiyang asks.

Oscar lifts his head. "Ruh?" No, no,  _no_. That is not the sound that Oscar wanted. "Oh," he tries again, "-Oskk-"

"Rosk?" The yellow haired human female suggests with a hint of amusement.

Oscar shakes his head adamantly.  _No_. "Osk-Ossu-" Why was speaking so hard? He growls out of frustration. "Oss-ru-kah!"

"Oruka?" Taiyang asks.

"Osuka?" The yellow haired human female adds.

"Oscar!" The Little Red Hood pipes in. Oscar nods his head fervently to that. She punches the air in triumph. "All right!"

"I take it you have trouble speaking," Taiyang says wryly, an eyebrow lifting. "Can you at least write?"

Oscar whines in response, ears flattening in despair. He'd seen a few humans do that, including Nora who had carved her name in tree bark with a knife she 'borrowed' from Winter. However, with Oscar's embarrassing aptitude in speaking, he imagines trying to write would be humiliating in a similar fashion. After all, he did not always have opposable thumbs.

"How about friends and family?" The yellow haired human female inquires, leaning forwards. "Got any of those? I'm sure they'll want to know where you are."

Oscar sobers up at that. There was nobody. Oscar was a lone wolf, a dangerous thing since his kind worked better in packs. But after being shunned by his own kind and having the only beings who could accept his eccentricities, his pack, taken from him, it was just him. He shakes his head slowly.  _No_.

The three humans give Oscar pitying looks that he purposely ignores. He doesn't like that kind of emotion.

"So … uh …" Ruby breaks the silence that lapses over them. "You … uh … Do you live in that forest by yourself then?"

Oscar … Oscar knows the answer to the question. He just doesn't  _how_  to answer it. He considers this until he holds up a finger-one-and points to himself.

"Uh, charades,  _yay_." Taiyang's voice does not share the same enthusiasm his words do. "Okay, so, only you." Oscar nods and then starts imitates his index and pointer finger in a walking gesture. "Walking? Travelling?" Oscar, again, nods. They're not wrong answers. "You've been by yourself. For how long?"

Oscar shrugs.  _No idea._  It's been quite some time since his pack died.

"You're an orphan." Oscar frowns at the words. Nora and Ren had described themselves by those words. They had, save for each other, nobody else. It's not a far off definition to apply to Oscar. Oscar merely lies back in the chair, resigned.

"Hey, don't worry!" The Little Red Hood chirps. "I don't have a mom anymore, too! Although-" she deflates into her seat "-that's nothing to be happy about."

"We're all missing someone here," the yellow haired human female says. The corners of Taiyang's lips fall into a frown at that, his expression going missed by her. "I'm Yang. This-" Yang points at the Little Red Hood "is Ruby. I'm not sure if she introduced herself already."

"Oh, you're right, I didn't."

"Well," Taiyang cuts in. "Until we can figure something out, you can stay here with us."

Oscar sits up at that, ears standing upright and tail wagging excitedly. Is this-This is really happening? Oscar can stay? Ruby jumps out of her chair, squealing.

"Really?!" Ruby asks, seemingly speaking for Oscar.

"Pretty sure the system will be at a loss at what to do with the kid if he can't speak or write. I'll let them know your situation though and see if we can find some family members for you." Oscar is sure the efforts will lead to nowhere but he appreciates the sentiment nevertheless.

Oscar nods, a imitation of Ren's gracious gesture. Oscar's relief turns to surprise when Ruby takes his hand, clasping it gently. Oscar simply to stare, awestruck, at the sight, at being able to do something like hold hands. He's always wanted to do something like this. He squeezes back, unable to hide the happiness that bubbles up within him.

Ruby wears a beaming smile that reminds Oscar of lazy afternoons, lying down on a patch of moss, listening to the sounds of the forest as the sun shines down on him.

"We," Ruby says, "are going to be best friends!"

Oscar smiles back. That sounded great to Oscar.


	5. Cartwheeling into Humanhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guess who's back! In response to an anon who asked Oscar's aura, that is actually a plot detail that we will delve into later into the story. For now, I'm focusing on building Oscar's basic skills like communication, co-ordination and etc. Think of this as the 'Home' arc. Much thanks to Utruk Doomhammer who has graciously agreed to beta this chapter. Feel free to check out their work as well! I'm also working on another Oscar Pine AU so expect to see that ... eventually. Thank you for following this story and please leave a review. They practically fuel this story to keep going.

The way Oscar moves reminds Ruby of a baby deer struggling to find its footing. Except a baby deer was able to control its limbs faster than Oscar, who after staying a week with them, still tripped over his feet and fell on his face and had trouble holding spoons and forks. Points for effort and enthusiasm though. Oscar never gave up, pacing around the yard whenever he got bored.

Speaking was a more difficult task. Ruby, Yang and Dad were lucky to have Oscar understand what they were saying. More often than not, whenever they tried talking to Oscar, the interactions melted into a long-winded game of charades. Which sucked because there were a million and one questions that Ruby wanted to ask Oscar.

_Who are you really?_

_How were you able to change from a grimm into a faunus?_

_Can any other grimm do this?_

_Why didn't you attack me?_

"Swe-"

Ruby spots Oscar on the grass outside. She lazes on the hard frame of her window, her magazine open on her lap. Oscar sits on the grass, the soles of his feet pressed against one another, crouching over Zwei, both staring at each other expectantly. It had been difficult getting Zwei to accept Oscar. The dog was probably the only other member in the Xiao Long-Rose household to know about Oscar's true nature. The two kept bickering with one another, sending glares and growls. Though it appeared they came to an impasse recently with the two being semi-civil to one another.

"Schway?" Oscar tries.

"Close!" Ruby calls out. Oscar tilts his head back to see her sitting on the window. The sudden shift of balance made Oscar fall back against the grass. Not that he minded, as he laid there calmly. "Like this! ZWEI!"

The dog perks up and barks. Oscar nods and sits back up, turning his attention back to the dog.

"Zw-Zway?"

Zwei only releases a discontented whine. Oscar groans, putting his face in his hands. Oscar had been trying to earnest to master the art of speaking, however, progress was slow and almost disencouraging. At this rate, it'd take a few more weeks or even months for Oscar to speak coherently.

Oscar's lack of, uh, basic human abilities were a cause of concern for Dad and Yang. Both of them gave Oscar concerned glances from time to time when the other wasn't watching. Ruby sets her magazine and jumps down from the window, landing smoothly on the ground.

Oscar greets Ruby warmly when she walks up to him. Seeing him now, one could never tell he was ever a grimm.

Speaking of which …

"Should we tell Dad and Yang?" Ruby asks.

Oscar's head tilts questioningly.  _About what?_

"About your, um, very  _grimm_  secret." Internally, Ruby screams at her own bad pun.  _Why? Just_   _why_?

Any warmth Oscar had before is now gone. Cold. That is what Ruby thinks as Oscar's vibrant eyes turn sharp and his mouth flattens into a solid line. A solid no, then.

Ruby holds up her hands to mollify him. Zwei merely barks and lunges at Oscar, somehow pushing him to the ground and landing on top of him. Oscar grunts as his head collides with the grass and lets out a growl as he glares up at Zwei's form on him. Zwei barks once more to let him know who's boss.

Despite the hostility in the air, the two of them painted a cute picture to Ruby. Ruby giggles, trying to hide it behind her hand. She lies down with him, dark hair splaying out on the grass, their heads nearly touching. The sun was like a warm kiss as it shined on them and the blades of grass poked into her..

Honestly, Ruby knew she should've be more concerned about Oscar. But he was so …  _different_ , for lack of a better word. He didn't want to hurt Ruby. If anything, he wanted to help her, from the way he fought with her when the beowolves surrounded them near her mother's grave. He had a hungry curiosity that seemed to beg to be filled, from the way he constantly went to Ruby for explanations, and poked objects he found strange. He bowed his head in respect whenever Taiyang entered the room. He was friendly enough with Yang and his bickering with Zwei hadn't gotten out of hand.

Ruby rolled over, propping herself up on her shoulders. Her head hovered above Oscar's, her hair framing a lazy halo over him. "You think you can change back?"

A look of sheer terror crosses Oscar's face, popping his mouth open and baring his fangs before snapping it shut in an uncertain line. Ruby wasn't sure how to interpret that look. They really had to work on his communication skills.

A noise came out of Oscar's throat, almost a word. Ruby waits patiently for Oscar to string out the sentence. "Ah- _I_ -I  _wah-nt_  te-teh sa-ay." Oscar growls, again, frustrated, knocking his head back against the ground. "Stah-ay."

He wanted to stay? She could understand. Oscar had been all alone when their paths crossed. No friends, no family, nothing. Just him.

"How lonely were you when I found you?"

Oscar draws his gaze away soberly and shrugs.

"Cheer up, Mister Wolf!" Ruby runs her hand over Zwei's fur, the dog seemingly finding a new bed on Oscar's chest, and ruffles Oscar's hair, snapping him out of the distant daze he was in. "Dad said you could stay as long as you wanted to!" Okay, maybe not like that, but same gist!

Ruby jumps up on her feet and dips down, holding out her hand for him to take. Oscar considers the limb. He gently moves Zwei aside, the dog going easily, and takes Ruby's hand, clasping it clumsily.

"I'm guessing you never did a cartwheel before, huh?"

Oscar raises an eyebrow.  _What's that?_

"It's super easy! Just put your arms and …"

* * *

 

 _(When Dad and Yang come back from their grocery trip, they catch Ruby barely able to walk in a straight line, Oscar lying defeated on the grass,_ dog- _tired and Zwei running around in circles._

" _Dad," Yang says. "I think Ruby broke Oscar."_

_Ruby yells something incoherent at Yang, arms flailing in the air, and falls over on top of Oscar, the boy letting out a surprised squeak as he bears her weight.)_


	6. Beware the Hand-Crusher

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks to my beta, Utruk Doomhammer

The setting and rising of the sun always held a constant beauty, a stark contrast to the calm colors of the day and night sky. It set a canvas of oranges, pinks, golds and the odd tint of purple streaking across the sky. Whenever he could, Oscar would find a cliff or mountain to rest and watch the sun as it inched closer and closer to the horizon.

 

Sundown had a much different meaning to the humans Oscar found himself living with. It was ‘Family Bonding Time’ as Yang called it. 

 

Oscar likes her well enough. She reminds him of fire -bright, burning and, if you got too close,  _ dangerous. _ Her aura was much the same, golden and flaming. Every fiber of her being was corded with power that even Oscar in his original form was afraid to cross. Her father was even more terrifying, with considerable experience under his belt to make him a formidable foe. 

 

After living with the family for some time, Oscar realized that it wasn’t very different than his old pack. Play fighting was a common fixture in their routine. He understood that Taiyang was the alpha of the pack, Zwei the honored elder, Yang the beta and Ruby, due to her age, the omega. Oscar stood as the outlier, the lone wolf allowed to run besides them. 

 

He still couldn’t believe this was happening. He was human. Well, almost. Not only that, he had been allowed to live with them! Oscar wanted to do so many things, but his body just failed him. Words came out distorted, fingers clumsy and untrained, and legs--oh his  _ legs _ \--were useless. 

 

Yang slams Oscar on the ground by the belt of his pants and the shoulder of the shirt Taiyang let him borrow. The air is knocked out of Oscar as he bounces off the ground. He’s barely able to roll away before Yang’s foot descends down towards him like the swing of Ruby’s scythe. 

 

“Uh, Yang?” Ruby calls out. She balances shakily on the fence post, back flipping off it before her father’s sweeping kick knocks her off it. “I don’t think this is the best way to help Oscar with his coordination.” 

 

“Ruby, how else are chicks supposed to learn to fly if you don’t knock them off their nest?” Yang snarks back. 

 

Oscar found satisfaction in being able to dodge her blows, zipping this way and that. His satisfaction was short-lived. Yang reaches out with both arms, grabbing him by his shirt and slamming her knee into his stomach. Oscar falls to his knees, hacking and coughing. 

 

It would seem this family was just as merciless as his pack used to be. If Oscar ever straggled behind, his pack would never wait for him to catch up.  _ He had to move. _

 

After regaining his breath, Oscar strikes out, his closed fist colliding with Yang’s surprised face. There’s a sick  _ crack _ of bones as pain blooms through Oscar’s hand. Yang flies through the air, rolling roughly on the grass until coming to a stop. Oscar is by her side in seconds, whining and panicking. 

 

_ Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.  _ Oscar screwed up. Screwed up  _ bad _ . He turns Yang on her back. Her cheek is red and ballooning. His ears twitch as they catch the steady beat of her heart and the air passing in and out of her nose. She’s still alive. 

 

“Oscar,” Yang says faintly, her trembling hand reaching out. Oscar’s hold on her tightens. “I think … this is it. Tell Ruby I love …  _ Zwei. _ ” Yang’s arm drops as her breath leaves. 

 

“Ya--Yaahng?” Oscar murmurs. What’s wrong with her? Her heart is beating but she isn’t moving. Oscar shakes her, nails digging into her skin, his eyes burning. 

 

Yang perks up after a few seconds, smile lighting up her face and laughing. “Holy  _ shit, _ your face!” She breaks down in laughter, bending over. “Relax!” she tells to Oscar’s very scared and confused face. “I was just pulling your  _ tail _ !”

 

Oscar is not sure whether to laugh or groan at the bad joke. Instead he growls at her, baring his fangs. This was certainly not  _ funny. _ The smell of metal reaches his nose. Blood oozes out of the crescent shaped marks Oscar’s fist dug into Yang’s skin. His hand hesitantly hovers above them, unsure of what to do. Now he’s gone and done it. He made her bleed. Now he’s going to be kicked out and left to wander all alone again. 

 

It’s only the flick Yang delivers to his nose that snaps Oscar out of this thoughts. 

 

“Calm down, wolf boy. It’s only a shallow cut. You don’t have to worry so much.”

 

Oscar sighs, hiding his face in his hands. The slight jut of his cheekbones pokes at the thumb on the hand he used to punch Yang. Pain courses down his arm, making Oscar yowl and pull his hand away. His thumb … This thumb should not look like that. It had been pulled in a twisted angle, swelling an ominous red. 

 

“Aw,  _ shit _ ,” Yang hisses. “I broke your thumb!”

 

Oh, did she now? Oscar stares at the injury, unsure of what to do. 

 

“Wait, how did you punch me?” Yang asks. “Show me with your unbroken hand.”

 

Oscar holds up his other limb, enveloping his thumb with his fingers. Yang gasps, horrified. 

 

“That’s not how you punch people, Oscar! You do so like this. See!” Yang closes her fist, her thumb tucked outside the cage of her other fingers. “Aw, crap… Come on, let’s go some ice for your hand.” Yang pulls Oscar up, practically dragging him back to the house. 

 

Taiyang releases his tight hold on Ruby, the girl zipping away from him, when he sees the two of them passing by. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Oscar broke his thumb!” Yang shouts back. 

 

Yang sets Oscar on a chair in the kitchen, shoving him down the seat more than anything, and hustles over to fetch something for the broken thumb. Oscar yelps when Yang throws an ice pack towards him and clumsily catches it with his uninjured hand. Ruby and Taiyang follow in afterwards, the younger of them bolting over to Oscar and cooing over his hand. 

 

Yes, his thumb hurt quite a lot, to the point that his canines were biting down on his bottom lip, yet he didn’t think it had to merit this level of concern. He remembers Ren and Nora getting hurt, cuts and scratches appearing due to their carelessness. Oscar merely gave them a comforting lick and moved on. The children were good at soothing each other, without needing Oscar to comfort them. The woman in white had been capable of looking after herself, tending to her injuries and hiding them from the children. 

 

Oscar takes stock of Ruby, her bright eyes alight, dark hair falling around her face, the tiniest amount of pudge to her cheeks and slender fingers tenderly holding his wrist.  _ “ _ Think we should get him to a doctor?” Oscar catches Ruby asking Taiyang. 

 

Taiyang considers this, arms crossed. His eyes cut to Oscar, who is sitting quietly. “How bad is the pain?”

 

Oscar shrugs, unsure of how to explain it. It definitely hurts. Then again, Oscar isn’t a stranger to pain. He could say for sure it hurt less than a burning hot sword cutting across his face. The memory has Oscar tracing the scar resting above the tip of his nose. He holds up his thumb and index, making an oddly shaped ‘c’ with them.  _ A little bit _ . 

 

“Really?” Taiyang raises an eyebrow. “Broken bones are painful as fuuu- _ dge _ . Painful as fudge.”

 

“Dad,” Yang groans. “We’ve heard worse. Uncle Qrow visits, remember?”

 

“I will not sink down to his level,” Taiyang says adamantly. He turns his attention to Oscar, taking a seat on the chair in front of him and taking the first aid kit offered by Yang. “First aid should do the trick for now. No clinics in town are going to be open at this time. But we can go tomorrow and get this looked at as well as get you a check-up. We also need to talk to the police about your case as well.”

 

“The police?” Ruby echoes uneasily. That didn’t sound good. Who were the police?

 

“Yes,” Taiyang answers slowly, sharp eyes scrutinising Ruby. “Is there a problem with that?”

 

Oscar stays silent. He doesn’t know who they are. Ruby, on the hand …

 

“W-What? Me? Problem? Nope, that is A-oh-kay. Oscar can talk to the police if wants to.” Ruby frantically flaps her hand in front of her face. Oscar catches the smell of her sweat breaking out across her body and the sound of her jack-hammering heart. “Right, Oscar?”

 

“Hoo?” Oscar says dumbly in response. 

 

“The police,” Ruby affirms hurriedly. “You’re okay to talk to them?”

 

“Hoo? Poh-lyce?”

 

Ruby’s eyes widens, realization glinting her moonlight eyes. “Oh! You don’t know who the police are, do you?”

 

Ruby takes Oscar’s confused demeanor as  _ ‘yes’. _

 

“The police are law enforcers,” Taiyang explains patiently. “They protect people from themselves and handle the bad ones. They’re different from hunters because I deal with Grimm, not humans.”

 

Oscar nods in understanding. “Dok-tor?” he hazards a question.

 

“Doctor,” Taiyang enunciates, punctuating every syllable. “They look after people if they’ve hurt themselves. You…” Taiyang’s gaze searches him, as if trying to find an answer from the mystery that was Oscar. “You haven’t spent a lot of time around civilization, have you?”

 

Oscar shrugs. He doesn’t even try to answer that. It’s not like he can tell Taiyang, a  _ hunter _ , the truth. 

 

_ Grimms are meant to kill humans and humans are meant to hunt Grimms.  _

 

“Well, okay then.” Taiyang, thankfully, leaves the subject at that and tends to Oscar’s thumb, wrapping a bandage around his hand. 

 

Oscar doesn’t have a lot. If he were to be dramatic, he would say he didn’t have anything before he met Ruby. He’s not going to lose it. 

 

“Hey,” Taiyang calls out. “What’s with the face?”

 

Oscar wryly grins and shrugs.  _ Nothing _ .

  
  
  
  



	7. Oscar vs Qrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay. School started this week and I started experiencing computer difficulties (my laptop crashed three times--UGGHHH). But anyway. I just kinda wanna emphasise the importance of leaving a review. They kinda fuel my passion for this fic as well as my imagination and Rosegarden feelings. Don't get me wrong. I love the kudos but I enjoy seeing written feedback from you guys ranging from general fic love to constructive criticism. Also, much thanks to my beta, Utruk Doomhammer.

Ever since Oscar shed his grimm fur, human life has been a series of unexpected, but not unwanted events. Like learning that a toaster was a tool, not a hunter trap. Like finding out humans were fussy about their appearance, particularly Yang, who would murder without mercy anyone if they ruined her hair. Like finding out humans are capable of doing so many things, building monuments, healing bodies, understanding the world around them to the tiniest particles - they were all bundles of endless energy capable of going anywhere they wanted.

But Oscar  _definitely_ had not been expecting a man to drop out of the sky and attack him.

Oscar is up before everybody else, thanks to Zwei pawing him in the face, demanding to be let outside to mark his territory. Oscar wishes he could do the same. However, he was unable to for two main reasons. First; Zwei would take that as an insult, another canine sharing his territory more than he was allowed, and two; the humans that resided here were rather adamant on all bipedal beings taking advantage of the indoor plumbing.

Currently sitting on the grass outside the house, Oscar yawns, stretching his arms out. He closes his eyes, soaking up the tranquil hum of nature around him and the kiss of the sun on his skin. The Xiao Long-Rose household could be very loud with rarely a dull moment, thanks to the vivacious personalities of Yang and Ruby. This was a welcome change from that. Birds chirped, leaves rustled, the wind whistled and-

Oscar senses his aura first, wild yet restrained, red like maples and just as aged, zooming down towards him. The sound of metal expanding and sliding, not unlike the mechanical noises from Crescent Rose when it changed forms makes Oscar's ears twitch.

Oscar jumps away, narrowly avoiding the swing of the scythe.  _So quick_. It had only been one attack, but Oscar could see a refined, practiced art in the strike that Ruby didn't possess with Crescent Rose.

A red cape billows in the air as eyes, the color of the wine that Taiyang kept beneath the floorboards, fix on him. The man smelt of alcohol. It was a pungent scent that clung to his clothes, misted out of his breath and might as well leak out of every pore.

"So," The man says, picking up the scythe and throwing it over his shoulder, "You're the new puppy. Nice ta meetcha."

Oscar growls, making his distaste for the newcomer no secret.

"Oh, you mad?"

Oscar straightens up, hands curled at this sides, prepared to strike if need be. He levels a withering glare at the man.  _Don't try that again._

The man merely quirks a lazy eyebrow at him. "Okay, kiddo, let's see what you're made of."

The man darts towards him, smirk curling his lips. His scythe retracts into a large blade behind him.

 _Ah_ , Oscar thinks.  _He's like Ruby._

The man was a predator too and he liked being one. Oscar would have to be careful. Though he was at significant disadvantage, not having the years of experience with hand-to-hand combat or the coordination under his belt like Taiyang. Oh, and a broken thumb.

As the man nears, Oscar reaches out.  _Remember what Yang did during Family Bonding Time. One hand on the belt, the other on the collar_. The man slips under, ducking away from Oscar's reach. He twists around in a circle behind him and swings his sword in a wide arc. Oscar jumps, barely even avoiding the blade.

Only a split-second after Oscar is back on the ground, a kick with the force of a Super Sai-Yang punch slams into his gut. Oscar rolls on the ground, coming to a stop a few meters away. He gingerly picks himself up, hacking from the pain.

"C'mon, Wolfie," The man taunts. "That all you got?"

One. Quiet.  _Sunrise_. That was all Oscar wanted. And then this man had to rudely butt in. Oscar is angry,  _very_ angry, he growls once more, darkly regarding the man. He doesn't know what it is, but the man's eyes widen fractionally. Oscar takes advantage of that to surge forwards, faster than ever on his two feet. But he doesn't dwell on this, instead choosing to throw a  _claw_  at the man's direction.

The man brings up his sword, claws clanging against steel. "Using your semblance, eh?"

 _Huh?_  Getting distracted was a stupid move on Oscar's part. The man pulls his blade back and grabs Oscar by the front of his shirt, flinging him onto the ground. The grass does little to soften the impact. Oscar winces.

 _Bastard_. He calls the man in his mind. It had been a word Taiyang muttered under his breath, when he thought nobody had been listening. It had been all too clear to Oscar's hearing though.

On instinct, Oscar grabs onto one of the man's legs, claws digging in though clothing and skin, and uses that as leverage to pull himself forwards on the ground. The taste of blood blooms in his mouth as he sinks his teeth hard through flesh, as the man yelled in pain and surprise. A sick, deep part of Oscar has missed this taste and relished in the iron tang. Energy flows through him, lighting up every part of Oscar. He couldn't even feel the pain in his gut or the throb in his thumb anymore.

" **WHAT'S GOING ON?!"**

Oscar lets go of the man instantly, releasing him from the cage of his teeth. The man staggers away, dropping his weapon and falling to the ground. Wincing, he holds his leg, wet with a dark red. Oscar watches him on all fours. Oscar is barely able to think through the feral rush overwhelming him. The man was distracted, one swift movement, one bite at the right part of his neck and-

_No._

_Stop it._

_This isn't-_

"Oscar!"

A storm of roses envelops Oscar, its sharp scent filling up his nose, blocking out everything else. Fingers cradles his face and forces his head up. The sun hasn't even reached its noon phase and yet Oscar feels like he's gazing up at its light. Ruby's face is a picture of frantic concern, lines etching between her eyebrows, mouth open in panic.

"-alm down! You need to calm down!"

Shame runs through Oscar. He doesn't want her to look at him like that. He doesn't want her to be sad. He wants her to smile, like she always does.

_I want to be her friend._

Then her eyes widen, and she looks surprised for some reason. "You-You're back" Ruby says in shock. She breathes heavily, as if she had running miles. Her arms wrap around him, holding him close.

He feels his cheeks grow warm as an incomprehensible sound comes out of his throat.

"Gods- _arrgh-_ " The man that attacked Oscar gives out a string of curses. Oscar hasn't been around humans for long. The sheer coarseness of the words manages to unsettle Oscar. He tenses under Ruby's touch, primed for another attack. "How come he gets hugs?"

"Gee, I don't know," Taiyang says sarcastically with his hands on his hips. He then picks up the man effortlessly throwing him over his shoulder. "C'mon, let's get you fixed up,  _then_  I'm finding out what. The Hell.  _Happened_."

* * *

 

Taiyang sighs heavily, rubbing his temples.

"So, you just attacked him? No warning, no introductions, just dropped out of the sky and attacked him?"

The man shrugs, downing a bottle of alcohol to 'help with the pain'. "Pretty much."

Taiyang groans, putting his face in his hands. "Just why …?"

They're all scattered through the house. Oscar and Ruby are in the lounge, the latter still riled up from the fight and fully prepared for another one. Ruby curls her fingers over his hand, keeping Oscar on the couch.

Oscar bears his glare down on the man, fangs peeking out from his mouth. Oscar's ire seems to make no effect on the man, however, as he slouches on a chair in the kitchen, legs propped up on the table. Taiyang is suffering from what appears to be headache on the chair across the man.

And Yang-bright, radiant Yang-is the picture of calm as she sits on the counter, drinking hot chocolate from a bowl. Oscar guesses Taiyang doesn't have the energy to remind her to use a mug instead. Zwei shares pretty much the same sentiment, devouring the food in his own bowl on the floor.

"Oscar," Ruby says. Oscar cuts his gaze to her. "That man who attacked you is our Uncle Qrow."

Oscar frowns at the term.  _Uncle?_

"Me and Yang have different moms. Yang's mom is Qrow's sister." Oscar nods his head in understanding.

"Was this kid raised in the wild?" Qrow asks bluntly.

"Maybe," Taiyang mumbles.

Oscar  _was_  actually raised in the wild.

He remembers the name Qrow. Ruby had mentioned it. She said Qrow could kick his butt. She wasn't kidding. That man could have killed Oscar. Oscar could tell between all the hits and blows that the man was skilled to the point he was holding back against Oscar. The only reason Oscar had been able to bite him at all was because he had underestimated Oscar and wasn't expecting something like that.

"Well, the kid certainly has an interesting semblance," Qrow continues. Again, with that word. Semblance. "Not too often you see a transformative semblance."

Oscar tenses. Transformative? Oscar had a vague inkling of what the word meant. To change. He changed? What?  _How?_

"Yeah," Qrow goes on, detecting Oscar's confusion and panic. "Your arms got all big and muscly with black stuff all over them."

Was Oscar that lost in his rage that lost sight of who he was? Oscar stares at his hands in horror. The bandages Taiyang wrapped around them had come loose, nearly unravelling. There was nothing wrong with them  _now_. They appeared the same as ever, veins visible, bones poking out and nails as sharp as ever.

But before-

"Hey." Oscar becomes aware of the hand that softly strokes his hair. Ruby smiles softly at him. "It's going to be okay. We can get your semblance under control. It just takes a while."

Oscar leans into her hand, relishing her touch.

"You two are awfully chummy," Qrow points out with a frown. He downs another drink from the bottle.

"Yeah, I noticed that too," Yang agrees with a shrug. "Well, Ruby was the one who found him after all."

"Really, now?"

"We should get you and Oscar to a doctor, though," Taiyang says. "After I've had my coffee and you stop drinking my booze."

" _Never_. I licked it so it's mine now." Taiyang tightens his fists, ready to through Qrow through a wall. "And I don't need to go to a doctor. My leg's fine."

"You're long overdue for a check-up."

"You can't make me go."

"You're right. I can't." There's a mischievous edge to Taiyang's words. "Ruby, Yang, girls, if you would mind."

"Wait, what the  _hell_  are you-"

Ruby ruffles Oscar's hair before leaving Oscar. Oscar's eyes trails after her as she joins Yang who hops off the counter in the kitchen. They share identical pleading faces, eyes drooping and lips jutting out. Oscar's heart pulls at the sight. It has even more of an effect on Qrow, who swears and nearly drops his drink.

"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby began.

"Please go to the doctor's" Yang continues.

" _Pleeeaaseee?"_ They end in unison.

Qrow curses loudly again, Taiyang reprimanding him sharply, and groans. "Fine, you win. I'll go get a check-up! You happy?!"

"Ecstatic!" Yang presses a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you!" Ruby does the same.

"Now with that settled…" Taiyang says, getting up from his seat and heading over to Oscar. "I need to check your thumb. You must be in even more pain now that you got in a fight with Qrow."

Oscar holds his hand out gingerly for Taiyang to take, only for the blond's face to be twisted in confusion. Oscar tilts his head at this, wondering what's wrong.

"What the …" Taiyang says incomprehensibly. "Your thumb's healed."


	8. More Monster than Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated this recently. I got sick and then I got tired and then I HAD SCHOOL. I may have to take a hiatus after this to write the next chapter. We'll see. But I do plan to finish this story. Eventually. We'll get there. Also, thank you for the responses you guys gave. They mean a lot to me and I appreciate everyone of them. I plan for Beacon to come around in 3 more chapters. Till then, have family bonding. 
> 
>  
> 
> I have no medical knowledge. This is all creative b.s. Changes to canon about faunus and where Patch is, because I remembered Patch is an island and Oscar would have no way getting on the island from where he was in the prologue. So, Patch is now on the mainland.

 

"There's no sign of him ever breaking his thumb," The doctor announces. "If he did, it must have healed between the space of last night and today."

Oscar doesn't like the scent of the doctor's office. It still smells sharply of a bitter scent that has him hiding a cringe. It had taken him a while to relax and trust the doctor. Oscar wasn't all that favorable of the other human, even if he was polite. Particularly not when the doctor came at him with a laughably tiny knife.

Oscar's seated at the patient's chair by the doctor's desk, staring at the black and white images hanging in front of a lightbox. Oscar guesses he really has changed if his bones have contorted and changed beyond recognition.

Taiyang, sitting on the chair next to Oscar, also has his eyes on the x-rays. Oscar can hear Qrow sitting outside, monotone breathing telling of complete and utter boredom. "But faunus aren't supposed to heal that quick. It's probably his semblance. But-" He looks back to Oscar "From what I saw, Oscar's semblance is transformative, not restorative."

"Perhaps when Mr. Oscar transformed, his bones set themselves right?" The doctor suggests.

Taiyang can only shrug. Oscar flexes his now-healed hand, fingers opening and closing into a fist without pain.

"I've also noticed a few other things from the other tests I've run," The doctor points out. He pulls another X-Ray film from his desk and places it on the lightbox. "You mentioned that Oscar couldn't speak. I took the liberty of scanning his throat. Now look here-" Oscar can't really make anything out of what he sees. It's just a jagged mess of bone and white tissue. "His throat is deformed. We're lucky his breathing isn't compromised. However, his ability to speak is. I recommend speech therapy, but he won't gain the same, refined ability that everybody has."

Oscar rubs the skin of his neck. He would have liked to hold a proper conversation with Ruby, instead of having struggle for her understanding him, flailing his hands and forcing out butchered words.

Sensing Oscar's displeasure, the doctor is quick to comfort him. "You're not the only one with speaking difficulties. There are some people in the world that go through the same problems as you are right now. It's nothing to be ashamed of. This is simply a part of who you are."

"Yeah!" Taiyang adds. "You can learn sign language!"

"Yes, that is definitely a great option."

Oscar raises his eyebrows in confusion.  _What's that?_

"It's when people use their hands to speak," the doctor explains. "I can forward you to a community class that teaches sign language."

"See! No need to be Debbie Downer!"

Oscar gives Taiyang a meagre grin, if only to give the man some validation in his attempt to brighten Oscar's mood. Oscar is honestly surprised by how warm and loving the man constantly is. Grimms could be considered adequate parents as long as they taught their offspring how to survive in the wilds. With humans, the concept of parenting was so much more complex than simply just giving birth to them and teaching them how to live. It was constant interaction, providing and sheltering for years on end.

"I also ran a DNA test on the boy as well," the doctor adds. "And I've noticed something quite peculiar." The doctor taps one of the buttons on his keyboard, the screen lighting up and showing a double helix of red and black lines with letters and number running beneath it. "All faunus have a certain level of DNA similarity with Grimm, since both share the same common ancestor. Think of it like how humans share 98.8% DNA similarity with monkeys. With faunus and Grimm, the DNA they share is about ten percent."

Oscar's ears perk up in interest. He makes sure to keep his face neutral and focus elsewhere.

"But the level of DNA between Mr. Oscar and Grimm is well above average, reaching about 30%. There's no recorded case of a faunus ever reaching that level of DNA similarity." There is a clear fascinated edge to the doctor's voice. Despite his enthusiasm, Oscar only feels dread coils up inside him. "I don't even know if he can be classified as a faunus with this level of DNA difference."

Oscar darts his eyes to the door. He had a surefire way of getting out of there. He had enough coordination not to trip on his feet after ten steps.

"Uh, okay. And?" Taiyang asks. "Is this going to be a problem or …?" The man trails off, unsure.

"Well, I'd like to continue running more tests on him. A case like this is unprecedented! He could potentially be a missing link between faunus and Grimm!"

So Oscar had a way to get out of the clinic. But where would he go? Taiyang had driven all of them quite some way from his home, entrenching them in civilization. He nearly slaps himself for his idiocy. Trees still lined the city. Eventually they'd lead the way to a forest where he could hide himself.

"-car. Oscar!"

A hand curves over his shoulder. Oscar jumps, nearly falling out of the chair. Taiyang is there, holding his hands up. Oscar breathes in and out heavily, trying desperately to calm the storm of anxiety whirling through him.

"It's okay, it's okay," Taiyang coos. "It's just me. Everything fine with you?"

A stilted sound comes out of Oscar's throat. Then he nods, slowly looking away.

"Do you want to stay and run more tests or are you done for the day?" Taiyang asks. His gaze searches Oscar.

Oscar's hands are useless, unable to sign, and his throat is even more useless. This visit was a condemnation that even if Oscar could walk among humans and faunus, he'd never really be one of them. Oscar had a foot in two worlds, and yet he could never truly fit into either.

"We're just going to leave," Taiyang answers. "Oscar seems pretty stressed out." He stands, motioning gently for Oscar to do the same. Oscar stuffs his hands into his hand-me-down hoodie. He suddenly wants to back to Taiyang's home and hide in the forest surrounding his house forever.

Taiyang gives his and Oscar's thanks to the doctor and leave the office without further ado. Qrow has fallen asleep by the time they're out, drool beading at the side of his mouth and snoring loudly. The sight eases Oscar's nerves somewhat, causing the sides of his chapped lips to twitch upwards for a second.

Taiyang quirks an eyebrow at the sight and then sighs. "Hey, look! Beer!"

Qrow jolts awake, sweeping his head side to side wildly. "What?! Where?!"

"Nowhere. Dude, you have an addiction. Have you considered getting help before your liver stops working?"

"Tai, you're not the doctor here."

"Mm-hmm. Okay, buddy." Taiyang helps Qrow up from his chair. "In you go. Time for the terrible doctor's check-up."

Qrow growls intelligibly at Taiyang as he drags himself inside the office. The doctor appears to be amused at the sight, smirking at Qrow's level of maturity, akin to that of pouty children.

Taiyang faces Oscar who had been hanging back silently. There's an easy-going smile on his lips. Oscar is familiar with it. It was the one he wore after the man gazed out to the distance, deep in thought. "Wanna grab some ice cream? You look like you could use it."

* * *

Taiyang had never been sure of what to think of Oscar.

At first, the boy was basically an animal. And Taiyang hadn't meant that in a derogatory term for Oscar's faunus nature. Functioning as a civilized being may have as well been a foreign concept to him. He snarled, growled and had no idea how to use the shower or eating utensils.

The boy was slowly learning though. He worked on his coordination tirelessly, constantly asked Ruby questions, tried his damndest to try and speak with them all. Oscar  _wanted_  to fit in with all of them.

Oscar looked so cornered when the doctor started talking about his DNA. The boy hadn't noticed it, but his nails were digging into the flesh of his palms so hard that it was drawing blood. Clearly, the boy had some issues with that.

Oscar's first time dealing with brain freeze had been entertaining to watch. Ruby and Yang laughed as Oscar clutched his head and whined. Oscar ended up finishing his ice cream, marveling at every single taste he took.

All of these things; eating ice cream, learning how to walk, eat and read-all of this should have happened when he was younger. Why was Oscar experiencing these things now and not then?

"I'm back." Qrow groans, plopping down next to Taiyang. Qrow was worn-out, the bags under his eyes seeming heavier.

"So, what was the diagnosis?" Yang asks gravely. "Was it herpes? Wait, no, don't tell me.  _Chlamydia_."

"No," Qrow plays out. " _Crabs_."

Yang gasps in horror, slapping a hand over her heart. Taiyang rolls his eyes. Well, at least his daughter knew what STDs were and the very real danger they posed. Taiyang pulls his wallet out of his packet, taking 100 lien and holding it out to Oscar. Oscar frowns at the sight, tilting his head.

"Here, take it," Taiyang says. Oscar does as he's told, regarding the lien in his hand curiously, turning it over. "Ruby, Yang, take Oscar to buy stuff. Anything. I'm not picky."

"Oh, great!" Yang chimes, dragging Oscar out of the booth by his arm, Ruby following eagerly after them. The three of them leave the ice cream parlor, their laughter ringing through the air like bells. Their smiles were bright in the way only being young could do.

Taiyang doesn't miss the way the back of Oscar and Ruby's hands nearly graze each other. Those two had a natural gravitation to one another that Taiyang, as Ruby's father, didn't appreciate. However, they were both so innocently unaware of it that Taiyang felt bad intervening.

"That Oscar kid is hiding something," Qrow mentions once the kids leave their sight from the parlor window. "Dunno what though. You told me the kid's case before I visited. Definitely something shady involved."

"Oscar hasn't been forthcoming with details of his past. His … communication problems don't exactly make for the easiest conversation," Taiyang replies heavily. Taiyang then proceeds to relay the events of the doctor's visit. Qrow listens quietly, nodding here and there, with the same serious manner he listens to mission briefings when there are human lives involved.

"So, what we got is a kid more Grimm than faunus, unable to write or speak, with no discernable origins," Qrow summarises. "This is the point we have a breakthrough in the case but … nothing is coming to me. Other than child abuse. Serious child abuse."

"Well, Oscar did say he was an orphan," Taiyang adds.

"I know this isn't going to help clear things up, but something else was happening when that kid bit me." Qrow lifts the leg of his pants, showing the bandages there. "The doc said I would be fine. Also pointed out that my aura got drained though. And I felt it while that kid had his fangs in me. For a moment, I thought I was back in Mistrali swamps with those goddamn Grimm leeches sucking the aura outta me."

"You think he has another semblance? Other than transforming his arms into … I dunno, claws? And fixing broken bones?"

Qrow takes a bite out of Taiyang's ice cream, the other man yelping in protest. "I'm just as much in the dark as you are."

Taiyang groans, scrubbing his hands over his face. "I don't know," he laments. "Kid doesn't mean any harm. I can tell he just wants to be around us. Maybe it's best if we let him be and see what happens. If his past ever comes up, then we shall deal it the best we can."

Qrow considers this until shrugging and leaning back on the booth lazily. "Yeah, fair enough." Qrow swipes the Taiyang;'s ice cream bowl and runs his tongue over what remains of the scoops. "Mine now."

"Trying to figure out Oscar's past is easier than dealing with your immaturity," Taiyang hisses venomously.

* * *

The bookstore had a strange scent that Oscar was not acquainted with. Oscar could make out the musty scent of dust and mildew that had him sneezing violently, shaking the particles from its shelves. To be honest, the bookstore was a place that Oscar had never seen before. The shop was marked by only a door with an aging piece of paper announcing its presence. The stairs leading to its underground library were steep, having him holding onto the railing just in case his newfound legs gave up on him.

"A bookstore?" Yang questions, hands laced behind her head. The wizened old lady with her hair pulled back in a bun lifted her head from her book and tutted disapprovingly at Yang's crop top and shorts. "I thought we were going to go to get some clothes for Oscar. Even I'm getting tired of seeing him in Dad's hand-me-downs."

Ruby slaps Yang's arm playfully. "Let him do what he wants. You've seen how he is with the books back home."

When Oscar first got over the fact he had changed forms, his next biggest priority had been figuring out how to walk and talk, the latter now being a futile endeavor with his deformed throat, changed into learning how to read. Oscar had always wondered what was so good about books. He opened paperbacks, picture books, cooking manuals and magazines left in Taiyang's house. Even though Oscar didn't understand what they said, he knew why humans read them: information. It was like the howl of wolves across valleys, the mating displays of peacocks and playful chirps of bird in solidified form.

Oscar runs his hand over the spine, fingers sliding across crinkled paper and rugged fabric. He stops when a flash of gold catches his eyes. He's in a tucked-away corner of the store. He can hear Ruby squealing in the background about finding books about the 'classics' and Yang yawning in boredom.

Oscar gingerly pulls the book out, mindful of his claws. It's with some pride that he's able to make out half of the title: '— _aiden and the-'_. It's not a lot but it's better than where Oscar was a few weeks ago.

It's an impressive splash of color when Oscar opens the book, rich hues of red, blue, white, pink and browns all stylishly forming a feast for his hungry eyes. A monster covered in fur with a thick mane, arching horns protruding from its forehead and sharp long fangs, dressed in the clothes of a man sits on one end of a table heaped with food. The monster holds out a plate to a beautiful woman with fair skin, long flowing hair and curling eyelashes, dressed in chipped armor. The thing is … the woman isn't frightened of the monster. Her pink lips are curved into a bright smile, her cheeks rosy with happiness.

Why was she smiling?

Oscar looks to the body of text above the couple for answers, only making sense of about a third of the words. Oscar turns the page to see the monster and the maiden standing close together, arms curled around one another. He turns another page and the woman is standing in front of the monster protectively, brandishing a sword against a brutish looking man.

Oscar hears Ruby's faint footsteps and the rosy hum of her aura edging closer and closer to him until-

Oscar whips around, barking loudly. Ruby jumps in fright, squeaking like a scared animal. Oscar can't help but laugh at the pout Ruby has on her face as she crosses her arms in a huff.

Oscar raises an eyebrow at her.  _Did you really think trying to scare_ me  _would work?_

"Worth a shot," Ruby grumbles, somehow understanding Oscar. "Look what I got!" She holds up a thick book with weapons littering the cover. "It has pictures of the classics! See!" Ruby shows him the painting of a woman with golden hair and orange and silver armor. "Juliette d'Arc. She's holding Crocea Mors, the really pointy sword here. She was one of the first hunters and helped build up the network  _way_  back!"

Oscar gives a round of applause for Ruby and her find. The girl leans in curiously, taking in the book Oscar was holding.

"Hey," Ruby beams. "It's 'The Maiden and the Monster'." Oscar tilts his head, pleading for her to elaborate. "It's a fairy tale, something you read to little kids before they go to sleep at night. It's a story about a human prince that was cursed by an evil witch and got turned into a monster. To break the curse, he had to have somebody fall in love with him, which turned out to be the huntress here." Ruby taps her finger against the woman's form.

_Love made him human again?_

"Do you want to buy the book?"

Oscar nods eagerly, holding the book tightly to his chest. He follows Ruby to the counter. The old woman holding the counter regards Oscar with narrow eyes and curled lips. Oscar has never seen that type of expression before. It's akin to anger yet it's more venomous.

"60 lien." The old woman grunts.

"Wait, that's the marked price. It's on sale." Ruby points to the red sign brandishing white letters and numbers. "Shouldn't it be cheaper?"

"For him, it's full price."

"Why?" Ruby asks confusedly.

"Yeah, why?!" Yang adds hotly, hands on her hips. "Is this because he's a faunus?!"

 _Faunus._  Oscar's heard that term before. He's even seen a few in his time. Beings that would be human if it weren't for their animal traits. Oscar never really made much of a distinction between the two. Two-legged people were two-legged people after all. It would appear this was not the case for the old woman.

"Don't speak to your elders like that," The old woman snaps archly. "Do you want the book or not?"

Yang growls, fists clenching. She takes a threatening foot forwards her-

Only to be held back by Oscar's hand on her shoulder. Oscar shakes his head sternly at her.  _No_.

The shop was too cramped for a fight, it would make it disastrous. The old woman was already quite defenseless against Yang's rage as well, bones creaking with stiffness and vision going lazy. Oscar could make out the scent of creeping death on the old woman.

Yang huffs and glares at the old woman. Her aura flares with her newfound anger, red hot and ready to strike. Oscar hands over the lien as Ruby instructed earlier whenever he's buying anything. The old woman picks it up with the tips of fingers and slides the change to him on the counter. She sniffs at his retreating form after Oscar takes the lien, tucking the money into his pocket.

That distaste transforms into horror when Yang sticks her middle finger to the old woman, yelling loudly "Fuck you!" and smashing the door hard enough to rattle the shelves.

Oscar furrows his eyebrows at Ruby.  _What was that?_

Ruby pats his shoulder sympathetically. "Don't think too much about it."

* * *

Oscar and the girls catch up to Qrow and Taiyang. Both of them were sitting outside the ice cream shop bickering about something the former did-Licking Taiyang's possessions or something along that vein.

"Oh, hey kids," Taiyang greets them. "You had fun?"

Oscar nods enthusiastically, clutching the book to his chest.

Yang groans in disgust. "We found out the old lady running the bookstore was a racist hag."

"Well, at least Oscar looks like he had fun," Taiyang replies wryly. "I was thinking we should just skip going to police and leaving it for another day." A wave of relief rushes through Oscar, his shoulders slumping and exhaling slowly. "Oscar didn't look so good in the clinic. Anybody wanna head home?"

"Actually," Ruby pipes up. "Oscar still doesn't have clothes. I know he has the book but maybe it wouldn't hurt to get him something his size to wear?"

To be honest, Oscar wasn't that keen on getting more clothing. He was perfectly happy with Taiyang's old clothes. But if the others wanted to get some, well, it wasn't like Oscar could just say no. It wasn't just the deformed throat matter. He was scared he'd … displeased them if he ever said no.

"Ugh," Qrow groans. "Think I'm gonna get drunk instead."

"Well, have fun passing out in a bar." Taiyang lifts himself from the bench, waving the kids to follow him. He throws an arm over Oscar's shoulder. The sudden close proximity and weight startles Oscar, digging his nails into the cover of his book. He wasn't used to that. Taiyang notices the other's discomfort and frees him, apologizing softly.

"Oscar," Taiyang says. "I know communicating is hard for you and probably always will be, but I'm here for you if you ever need anything."

Oscar halts his step, staring at the older human. Oscar's mouth hangs open, words heavy on his tongue. Taiyang and his family had been nothing but kind and accepting, with the exception of Qrow. Only Ruby knew the truth, and her affection to Oscar locked the lid of his-their-secret. It was unsettling, using the girl's feelings against her but …

Oscar couldn't be alone again. No matter what it took, Oscar would preserve this unsure life he found himself in. He wanted to stay, to live among humans.

And Oscar closes his mouth, sending a reassuring smile to Taiyang.  _Thank you_.


	9. Pains of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oscar takes Ruby home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I came in looking to write Rosegarden fluff and ended up writing angst instead.
> 
> Also praise to my beloved beta, Utruk Doomhammer, for looking over this story and adding their own touches. Check out their other stuff on FF.net. They're a fellow Rosegarden shipper and really great at building fantastical worlds. I must apologise the amount of time it took to get this chapter out. I had school, basically. Also my muse sat in a corner and ignored me so I repeatedly annoyed it until it got up and sat down with me. 
> 
> Again, thank you for your lovely responses. They, and my Rosegarden feels, fuel this story. Please note, chapter 10 will the last chapter of the Home arc and by chapter 11, we can expect for Beacon to happen. Another note, the Jaundice arc? What Jaundice arc? I don't know what you're talking about. That being said, please enjoy the latest chapter of Part of Your World.

 

"What's your home like?" Ruby asks.

Ruby and Oscar sit on the couch, TV turned on to display a cartoon. As much as Oscar is fascinated by the bright colors and flashy actions scenes, he appreciates the melodic flow of words of the book open in his hands more. Reading was slow for Oscar. Arduous, at times, with unfamiliar words coming out at him, and he needed constant help to get through a book. But there was something deeply satisfying about learning enough to be able to get through a page with no assistance.

Ruby peers up to Oscar, her head resting on his lap. Oscar had been living with humans long enough to learn that such closeness between non-related members of the opposite sex was a cause for concern. But Oscar liked having Ruby close to him and, as long as she didn't mind, he didn't either.

"I don't mean to pry," Ruby says quickly, sitting up. "I just-I'm curious."

Oscar checks the auras in the house. Yang's up in her room and, music pulsing out of her headphones. Taiyang is outside, gardening, safely out of earshot.

Oscar sets his book aside. Oscar could write now, though haltingly and his handwriting left something to be desired. Signing was a much cleaner option, but Oscar had trouble from time to time finding the matching gestures to the words he needed. Just like his reading and handwriting, it required constant practice.

"G-R-E-E-N," Oscar signs out.

Ruby looks at him expectantly. Oscar scratches the back of his head. How could he describe the damp smell of moss, the grainy texture of dirt under his paws, the canopy of leaves and the soft kiss of the sun on his fur? At his level of articulation, he couldn't.

"Could I … see your home?" Ruby asks.

That …

That could work.

* * *

 

Taiyang had given them skeptical looks when Ruby announced that she and Oscar were going out on Saturday for a walk. Backpacks had already been packed, lunch boxes filled. In hindsight, perhaps they should have cleared their excursion with Taiyang first.

"I appreciate you kids getting out of the house and all," he says, "but a nature walk?"

"And a quick visit to mom's grave," Ruby adds. "I packed cookies for her."

A flash of pain twinges Taiyang's face. He nods somberly. "She'd appreciate that," he replies. "Just be careful. Remember what happened the last time you visited her."

"Yeah! I came home with a naked boy!"

Taiyang deadpans at her. "I meant the beowolves but if you could save Oscar's clothes and not bring another naked boy home, that would be appreciated.  _Thanks_." Taiyang turns his attention to Oscar, standing silently behind Ruby. "I know you don't have much of an understanding of human concepts, but fathers become  _concerned_  when there are naked boys around their daughters."

Oscar wonders what else Taiyang thought of him when he'd brought into the Xiao Long-Rose household. Better not to touch that subject. Oscar nods in understanding. "Clothes O-N," he signs.

"Thank you, Oscar. I want you kids back before sundown and, if you can avoid it, no fighting with Grimm."

"Got it!" Ruby chirps. Ruby takes Oscar by the hand, leading him forwards. "C'mon! Let's go!"

Oscar had to admit it. For such a tiny human, Ruby sure was abnormally strong. The girl nearly yanking his arm from its socket was indication of that. He sends a wry grin to the sympathetic Taiyang sent him, the man appearing all too acquainted with the experience.

* * *

 

Oscar hadn't realized how much he missed the forest. There was a sweet serenity in Ruby's home, like the warmth of a campfire. But standing on a root of a tree, hand flat against the rough trunk for support, and surrounded by for what seemed endless miles of dirt, green and shrubbery, there was an aching familiarity to it all.

Oscar closes his eyes, breathing in the sharp smell of the pines and the damp smell of mud. A smile comes to his lips.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself." Ruby remarks.

Oscar merely shrugs at her. He thinks even if he were to articulate it, it'd be impossible to describe the warmth welling up inside him.

"So, is this it?" Ruby asks, spreading her arms out in an encompassing gesture. She tenses, eyes going wide. "I mean, your… habitat seems pretty nice. I was just wondering if this was all you saw every day."

Oscar crosses his arms, considering the question. He will admit that the forest was a permanent fixture in his life, rooted in since his birth, to the point it became monotonous to him and boredom became his worst enemy. He wonders how it looks through Ruby's eyes, a human sheltered inside four walls and civility. Is it merely mud and trees to her?

"I wanna try something," Oscar signs. Ruby nods in affirmation. "Close your eyes. Speak forest."

"How do I speak forest?"

Oscar scratches his head. "Say," he signs, "what you don't see."

"You mean describe?"

Oscar nods enthusiastically.

"Got it," Ruby finishes, clicking her tongue. Her palms come up to her eyes. Her red cloak sways slightly with the soft wind breezing through the trees. "I… hear birds. Lots of them. They're all chirping. And something rushing. I think it's water. I can feel the sun on my skin." Oscar slowly approaches her, steps silent on the dirt. The corners of Ruby's lips tug upwards. "I can smell something damp-mud-and pines. It's kind of sweet but they're really good too."

Oscar gently pries Ruby's hands away from her eyes. The girl blinks rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the light. Her gaze settles on Oscar, somehow surprised, and then she looks to the forest around, head snapping around slowly.

"I don't know if it's because I just opened my eyes," Ruby says, awestruck, "but everything around looks…  _brighter_. Has this always been outside my house the entire time?"

Oscar nods.

"Huh. I guess it was the difference between us growing up. What was it like for you?"

It was… fine, Oscar guesses. An average life as any Grimm could have. But by the time he had been forming coherent thoughts, Oscar began to question things. Things like why he had to kill humans for food when he could devour deer and other wildlife. Things like why did the screams of the terrified people shook him as hard as they did?.

Oscar searches for an answer. In the end, all he can form with his hands is the word "Confusing".

Oscar removes the notepad from his waist and starts scribbling out on it. He makes out the outlines with the black ink of the pen, jagged and rough. When he's done, he shows the picture to Ruby who frowns at it.

"There are three dogs." Ruby gasps. "Is this your family?!"

Oscar smiles. Ruby points to the smaller figure between the other two jagged wolves. "Is this you?" Ruby cooes. "Aw, it's so cute. And I'm guessing the others are… your parents?" Oscar inclines his head at this.

He has both cruel and fond memories of the creatures that birthed him. They showed him how to survive. He can remember a warm spring afternoon, the elk grazing the field and Oscar stalking silently in the shadows behind them. It's a contrast with the distant figures growing further and further away from him as merciless winter rain pelted down on him and he scrambled to catch up. Oscar thinks that, under the circumstances, they were the best parents they could be.

"Where are they now? How come they're not with you now?"

Oscar takes a deep breath before continuing. He carefully removes the paper from the notepad and holds it up to Ruby. And then he tears it in two. The sound of the paper ripping is almost like a scream in the serene quiet around them.

"They're dead," Ruby answers. "Oh. Were they like you?"'

Oscar shakes his head. Although, he suspects they might have known about his … peculiarities. It may have not mattered to them as long as Oscar as complied with the pack order between them. He has no idea how they would react, seeing him now, disgustingly human, furless and with hands instead of paws.

"You don't have to answer but did hunters…" Ruby trails off, unsure.

Oscar sucks a sharp breath in, the air like knife in his lungs, and buries his face in his hands. A whine escapes, sad and pathetic to his ears. It had been so sudden, watching the axe bury inside his parents and the bullets pelting their bodies. The memory of it leaves him shaking. It's hard to breathe all of a sudden and-

Ruby's arms wrap around him. Her hand strokes his hair softly and her voice a comforting lull. A choked gasp escapes Oscar. Oscar clings to Ruby's smaller figure, hands clenching the fabric of her cloak.

After his parents died, Oscar was in so much pain despite his own wounds being laughably meagre to his sires' fates. He howled and raged and wanted to tear apart the limbs of every damn human that crossed his path. The part of him of that could  _feel_  held Oscar back from this, reminding him of the terrified screams that rang through the air and the blood spilled. In the face of that, he hated himself for not going back to avenge their deaths and wished that he was another mindless monster, that he didn't feel at all.

Then again, if that was the case he wouldn't be able to be with Ruby like this, so it's a small consolation.

* * *

 

"The thing is," Ruby says, sitting with her legs tucked beneath her on the picnic blanket, "I can't even remember my mom."

The gravestone, the very same marker that signaled where Oscar first met Ruby, lies in the ground. Ruby cleared away the dust and twigs away, allowing the words on it to be displayed boldly on the stone 'Summer Rose'. A cookie, placed carefully by Ruby, lies next to the grave.

"Uncle Qrow and Yang say I look like her. Same face, same hair, practically a clone," Ruby goes on. "But when I try to picture her, there's nothing there. I wear her roses to feel close to her. I eat cookies because that was her favorite recipe. I try to reach to her, but I always end up grabbing air instead." Ruby wrings her hands nervously. "Can't help feeling like a bad daughter for that sometimes."

Ruby's lips curve downwards and there's a glassy sheen layering her eyelids. Oscar watches her quietly. It's a somber contrast to her sunny smile. He wants her to return to her usual self, beaming and bright. There was no helping the dark emotions plaguing her.

Oscar reaches out tentatively, gently nudging her. Ruby turns him, questioning. He's slow as he shifts towards her, curving his arms around her. It's the same gesture Ruby did for him, weeping over the loss of his parents. Ruby swallows back a sob and places her hands on his back, fingers bunching the fabric of his shirt.

"It's okay," Ruby says, her voice thick. "It's-" she sniffles. "It's been a few years. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to."

 _It still hurts_ , Oscar thinks. He runs a gentle hand along the curve of her head, soft hair threading beneath his skin.

"Sometimes you can hardly feel it and sometimes you can't even breathe." Ruby pulls away, settling to lean her head on his shoulder and gazing out to the grave. "I can't imagine what it was like for you."

Oscar gingerly takes his notepad and scribbles down a few words. ' _BeFor oR aFter PaRentS?'_

"Hmm … both."

Oscar wasn't really sure how to describe it. He tries anyway. Writing down more strangled words. ' _ConFusIN Sometimes LOneLy AFterwads. SOmeTimes Warm.'_

"Warm?"

Oscar gestures to the picturesque scenery behind the grave. It was like the first night he met Ruby, except the valleys are vibrant in the sunlight and the sky dotted with the occasional cloud streaming along the sky.

"Huh," Ruby says in wonder. "You know, your home can be really beautiful at times. I never really knew the forest could be more than just trees and dirt."

Although, Ruby had a point. Sometimes the scenery got repetitive and, at times, grated on Oscar's nerves when he felt like he was wandering aimlessly for hours. Which he did. A  _lot_.

Ruby lifts her head from Oscar. "Was it hard to deal with? Living at my house?"

Oscar nods. "Everything new," he signs with his hands.

"Yeah, stupid question. I was there." Ruby averts her eyes downwards self-consciously, scratching the back of her neck. Oscar taps Ruby gently and shakes his head insistently. Oscar didn't think Ruby was being stupid. Ruby smiles, lips curling up brightly, somehow understanding what Oscar meant. "Thanks, Oscar." A pause of silence. "Is it… weird? I mean, you're living with a hunter? And me and Yang are gonna be huntresses. Cause for concern, don't you think?"

The thought had occurred to Oscar. Everybody in Taiyang's home could kill him. Even if Oscar's parents were killed by hunters, Oscar knew it was in self-defense. After all, he and his parents were waiting for nightfall to attack the village. It was all a matter of survival. However, Ruby and her family were reasonable. Excluding Qrow, who had unceremoniously attacked Oscar. The man was still on his 'shit list' as Yang charmingly called it.

Oscar is safe as long as he doesn't do anything to cause Ruby and her family grounds to cut him down. So, he shakes his head and grins reassuringly at her.

"But hunters killed your parents …"

The grin falls. There was no denying that. Oscar sighs. There is a terrible, complicated mess inside Oscar that he can't begin to untangle. On one end, his parents had a reason to die. The huntsmen had to protect the villagers. In the eyes of the villagers, Oscar's packs were  _monsters_. On the other, they were his  _parents_. He watched them  _die_.

"Trust you." is all Oscar signs in response.

Ruby's arms come around him once more. The girl grins when he tilts his head at her. "It's going to be okay," she promises.

Oscar can't help the upwards tug of his lips as he throws his arm around her, a mimic of what Taiyang had done after he bought his book. As he looks towards the grave, seeing the light come down on it and the unending valley behind it, Oscar believes her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a kudo or a review below!


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